Psalm 138 is a psalm written by David. In fact, the next eight psalms, Psalm 138 to 145, are all psalms written by David. In this psalm, David promises God that he will continually thank him and praise him. And when we think through the life of David, We know that his life was anything but smooth sailing. His life was marked by many very threatening obstacles, wars, failures, and setbacks. Dave was at times hated and hounded for simply doing the will of God. He was pursued and persecuted. He was chased up mountains and down into deep valleys and caves. He was chased even to foreign countries. Many times in his life, he was afraid and alone, Through it all, he never lost his passion to praise God and thank God. The kind of praise that David gave to God was not some half-hearted praise. In fact, verse one says that David praised God with all of his heart. To worship God with all of one's heart requires at least three things. We want to have no doubts about God and no sins before God, nothing first other than God. You may notice that David says he will give thanks to God and sing praises of God before the gods. It certainly would mean he would do this before all the angels, and it also means that he would do this before all the political leaders of the world. But specifically, we think David is promising God that he will thank him and praise him in a world in which people worship all kinds of false things and false deities. There are times when he could not be in Jerusalem to worship God, so he would bow down toward the temple and praise and thank God. Apparently, sometimes when he was on the run in foreign countries where they were worshiping false idols and gods, he would sing praises to the one and only true God. That was the heart of David. The believer who will see God do wonderful things is one who will worship God no matter what the opposition. Other people may worship other things, but one right with God will be testifying about and singing about the true pray God of the Bible. The point to see from the psalm is this, no matter where we are or what we are experiencing in life, those who will see God do great things will be those who praise God and thank God. So God wants his people praising him, thanking him, even when we find ourselves in a world filled with idolaters. He wants us worshiping Him in the face of Babylonians, or Muslims, or Mormons, with all of life's problems that come our way. What are the reasons we have for praising God and thanking Him? Well, first of all, we can thankfully praise God with all of our hearts for His loving kindness. Look at verse one, or chapter Psalm 138, verses one and the first part of verse two. Of David, I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart before the gods I sing your praise. I bow down toward your holy temple. Well, let's begin right there. I mean, he gives thanks to your name for your steadfast love. and your faithfulness. We may always, always praise God and thank God for his mercy, grace, and loving kindness. That's something for which we can always praise the name of God, the sovereign, almighty, holy God, who can do whatever he desires to do as mercifully and lovingly dealt with us. Actually, we don't need any other reason to praise God. This alone is a great reason. But we can also, thankfully, praise God with all of our hearts for his truth We live in a world of liars. Every return we see that which is false, but there is one constant and that constant is God. He's always a God of truth and his word is truth, something for which we may always praise and thank God. And we can thankfully praise God with all of our hearts for his word. As we continue on, he says, he's got faithfulness and you've exalted above all things, your name and your word. God magnified his word according to all his name. Those who worship God will magnify the word of God. God's word is to be magnified at the same level of his name. Therefore, everything about God is revealed in the word of God. Now notice, since God so magnifies word, only those who see God's word in this way are in a position to praise God. That's significant. Most people who go to churches go to what they call their praise and worship. But if a place isn't magnifying the written word of God, there's anything but praise and worship. And we can thankfully praise God with all of our hearts for his answers to our prayers. Look at the first part of verse three. On the day I called, you answered me. There are times when God does instantly answer the prayers of His people who are crying to Him for help. He doesn't answer it immediately all the time, but He does some of the time. One of the great reasons to thank God and praise God is for answered prayer. Most of us can testify of the time we call up to God for salvation and He instantly answered our prayers. And for those, that we can always praise God. And then we can thankfully praise God with all of our hearts for the strength he has given. Look at the second part of verse three. My strength of soul you increased. The boldness or strength was produced in the soul. The strength was not in the circumstances or on people, but it was in the soul. Those right with God have a soul strength produced by God. carefully observe who produces boldness, it's God. God is the one who is able to work in a person's mind and heart so that they end up strong. And we can thankfully praise God with all of our hearts for what he will do in the future to world leaders. Verse four and the first part of verse five, all the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord. Notice carefully that David says, all the kings of the earth will, not might, give thanks to God. All the political leaders of the world will one day worship the true God of the Bible. This will happen when they have heard words actually coming from the mouth of God. That will happen when Jesus Christ is here on the earth reigning. So this will not be completely fulfilled until the reign of Jesus Christ. There'll come a day when all the kings of the earth will be singing about the true ways of the God of the Bible. Wicked political leaders will be gone, and that will happen when Christ comes back to reign. And then we can thankfully praise God with all of our hearts for the fact that He, great, exalted God, regards the humble and not the haughty. For great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. Great is his glory. And he's exalted in his person. Yet the amazing thing is this majestic God will have fellowship with those who are lowly and not haughty. So foreign to the world that exalts the haughty. but not God. The proud and the arrogant are not those God will exalt. He exalts the humble and the contrite. And many of today's unknowns will be eternity honored. We can thankfully praise God with all of our hearts for the fact that he revives us in times of trouble. First part of verse seven, though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. God is with his people and revives his people when they have walked right in the midst of trouble and distress. God revived David when he walked straight into sin. We're not able to testify the same thing. God is a wonderful God who has revived us when we've been low. Amen, we can thankfully praise God with all of our hearts for the fact that he protects and defends us from our enemies. middle part of verse seven, you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies. God saw the anger of David's enemies and he came to David's assistance. He actually stretched out his personal hand, took a personal interest in the welfare of David. We can be certain that God has rescued us multiple times from various enemies, physical, emotional, angelic, spiritual. and we can thankfully praise God with all of our hearts for the fact that his right hand saves us. Verse seven, and your right hand delivers me. Do you see who it delivers? We don't deliver ourselves, God delivers us. God's an avenging God, he delivers and he does that work of saving his people. Every day of our lives we may thank God and praise God for his salvation. And then we can thankfully praise God with all of our hearts because the Lord will accomplish everything he intends with us. Verse eight, the Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. It's one very encouraging verse. Those who praise God and thank God will see God accomplishing everything that concerns them. David certainly was not a perfect man. So how could God accomplish everything with David? Well, he says the loving kindness or mercy is everlasting. It's not the intention of God to quit something once he begins something. Man does this all the time, but not God. It's not the intention of God to give up on someone once he has made them his property. Now most people take pride in their accomplished work and God is the same way. God is a merciful God and in his grace and mercy accomplishes his will in people's lives. But the people for whom he will do these things will be humble, trusting, praying people who are very serious about God's word. Those are the people who will revive and those are the people he will use.